The present invention is directed to a computer network. More particularly, the present invention is directed to secure purchases from vendors over a computer network.
Many products and services are available for purchase on the Internet. A popular way to make a purchase over the Internet is to send a valid credit card number to the vendor""s Internet Web site. However, the Internet is not considered a secure network and is frequently subjected to incursions by computer hackers. Understandably, this has made many users hesitant to send their credit card numbers over the Internet and has limited the growth of purchases made over the Internet.
Another reason that users are hesitant to use the Internet is that vendors typically require personal information of a user (e.g., the user""s name, address, phone number, etc.) before conducting a transaction. However, many users wish to remain anonymous to the vendor and also to avoid having their personal information available to computer hackers.
One known method for making purchases over the Internet without transmitting a credit card number is through the use of an electronic cash card from, for example, Mondex Corp. The electronic cash card has an embedded processor that stores a prepaid amount of money. A user can make a purchase by inserting the cash card into a specialized reader attached to the user""s computer. The amount of the purchase is deducted and the vendor is reimbursed for the purchase. However, this method requires the user to have an expensive cash card and cash card reader, and sophisticated software.
Another known method is the CyberCoin service from CyberCash Corp. With the CyberCoin service, users execute specialized software to obtain an Internet wallet. The Internet wallet can be used to make payments to vendors. However, this method also requires the user to implement sophisticated software.
Based on the foregoing, there is a need for a method and apparatus for making secure purchases over a computer network such as the Internet that do not require the user to purchase and implement specialized hardware or software and allow the user to remain anonymous to the vendor.
One embodiment of the present invention is a method of purchasing an item. The present invention includes providing an identity of the item to the purchaser over the Internet on a vendor server. The purchaser then places a telephone call over a telephone network to a billing server. During the telephone call, the billing server receives a billing amount for the item and a financial account. The billing server provides a confirmation number to the purchaser during the telephone call. The purchaser then sends the confirmation number to the vendor server. After verifying the confirmation number, the vendor sends the item to the purchaser and the vendor server sends the confirmation number to the billing server over the telephone network.
The present invention allows the purchaser to purchase goods or services over the Internet using the confirmation number that is received from a billing server over the telephone network. The confirmation number itself does not divulge either sensitive credit card information or personal information about the purchaser, and therefore can be freely sent over the Internet.